Pendulum inclination indicator



- 1,619,317 March 1 1927' H. J. SMITH PENDULUM INGLINATION INDICATOR Filed Nov. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l fit W 1,619,317 March 1 192?" H. J. SMITH PENDULUM INCLINATION INDI CATOR Filed NOV. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllll (IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII mm mmm fiz gaaa 67 52 i may be passing.

UNI sosT TEs HARVEY J. smrrn, or BAYPOINT, carrroimm.

rmvnunuu INGLINATION nvnrce'ron.

Application filed November 14, 1925. Serial R0. 88,174.

Thepresent invention has forits general.

object the provisionof adevice adaptedforindicating inclination toward and away from the horizontal, and --useable in connection with vehicles to indicate the percent of a gradewhen a vehicle is ascending a hill or descending therefrom, and fa her useable as a substitute for a mechamcs spiritlevel, and still'further u'seable in connection with a surveyors transit to indicate the degrees and minutes of an arc,=together with mathematical tables used in the solution of trigonometrical problems, such as tablesof tangents,'secants and co-tangents.

The above an other objects are accom .plished by instrumentalities pointed out in the following specification; v p

The invention is clearly defined in the claim. I i

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a form I of my device as used in connection with a motor vehicle to indicate the percentage of a grade in-a .roadrover which the vehicle Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Fig-. ure .'1 with parts thereof broken away to disclose the oons'truction and relation of other parts. 1 FigureB a vertical. cross section on the line3-3 .of Figure 2. a v V Figure 4 is adetailplan of theindicator mechanism shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section on the line 55 of Figure'2.

Fi re 6;isa vertical section of a modified orm of my'invention showing the same in use with a mechanics level.

, Figure 7 is a transverse section on line 7-7 of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a side elevation of a further modified form of -my device applied to a surveyors transit, with parts thereof broken away to disclose the construction and relation of other parts. a

Figu1'e9 is a-plan view of the modified form shown in Figure 8.

. curved c Figure 10 is a vertical transverse section on the line .10- 10 'of Figure 9. 1

Figure 11 .is a fragmentary contracted plan taken through the; central portions of the telescope and housings of Figure 9 and on a slightly enlarged scale.

In Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the device is shown as being constructed i for attachment to the instrument board 5 of amotor vehicle. In this instance the instrument board is provided with a recess in any convenient portion thereof, and extending through the board 5. This recess is adapted for re- I ceiving a hollow rectangularshaped vcasing 6, one side of which is provided witha marginal flange 7 which bears on the outer face of instrument board. 5, and surrounds the recess thereof so as to rovide astop. This flange 7 may be pierced in suitable portions for the reception of, fastening means, such as screws 8, which secure the device in place as shown. Casing 6is quite shallow, and the central portions of its opposite sides 99' are provided with bosses 10-10 whichprovide. bearings for the cone-shaped ends of a shaft 11 to whichis secured a segmental shaped metal weight 12.v The periphery or e of the weight recesed througout its length for the reception of a circular strip 13 which, fastened to the weight 12 inany suitable manner as by a screw-14. As shown in Figure 3, the strip is flush with the curved edge of the weight, and the diameter of the strip approximates the transverse dimensions offcasin 6 so 5 that the casing provides a housing for the strip which is permitted to turn: therein, together with the weight upon shaft 11. The periphery of the strip, is provided with the markings of opposed scales 15 and 16 which are disposed to either side of a zero point 17. The divisionsof the scales 15 and 16 are indicated by numerals as shown. The divisions of the scales are spaced apart for equal distances, and the space between any two successive divisions is such as will enable any division to indicate a gradient of two or a multiple of two percent when such division coincides with a cross line 18 arranged transversely on a let transparent panel 19 set behind an opening in the flange 7, and secured in any preferred manner as by brackets 21 upon the inner face of the flan It will be obvious t at, as viewed in Figure 1, the lower scale 16 will indicate downhill grades while the ufiper scale 15 will 0 rate to indicate uphi grades. In that tli inclination of instrument boards in the drivers compartments of motor vehicles vary, provision must be made in a device of this kind where it is desired to have the flange 7 bear throughout upon the outer face of the board, to permit of adjusting the device to conform to the pitch or slope of the instrument board. In this connection the adjustment is effected by means of the screw 14 which extends through a slot 21 in strip 13. With this construction, it is obvious that the strip 13 may be ad usted so as to aline the zero point 17 wit the cross line 18, as may be manned by the s10 of the instrument boar 5.

em the foregoing description, it is obvious that the device shown in Figures 1 to 5 is ideally ada ted to function as a gradometer, and is rther adapted for use in connection with any of the prevailing types of motor vehicles.

The operation of the device will be largely understood from what has been previously stated, it bein obvious that the presence of weight 12 wi operate by gravity to turn the strip 13 relatively to the vehicle when the same is ascendin or descending. For convenience in assem ling the device thus far described, it is referred to have one of the side walls sue as the side wall 9 detachably connected to the casing in any referred manner as by screws 22 screwed in 23 in the corner portions of the casing, preferably carried by the side wall 9. In the modified form shown in Figure 6, a circular housing 24 is set into a semi-circular 25 arranged in the upper side of an ordinary mechanics level 26. A circular strip 27 is arranged within casing 24 and free to turn therein and is secured to a segmental sha weight 28 by screws or other suitable astaning devices 29'. The weight 28 is fixed] secured to a shaft 29 having cone-aha ends 30 shown in Figure 7 which are rotatably mounted in depremions in 31 on the inner faces of they side plates 32 and 33 of casing 24. Side plate 32 'is preferably detachably connected to the casing as by screws 25 to facilitate the assembly of parts, and the outer face of the circular strip 27 is provided with a scale of inches and subdivisions ofinches, which scale is visible through an opening 34 in the housing and through a transparent closure 35 set behind the open' and secured to the casing in any prefe manner and provided with a cross line (not shown),

18 in connection Figures 8 to 11 inclusive show a further modified form of device used in connection with a transit or theodolite, the telesco of which is indicated b 36 and the spin e or horizontal axis by 3 The end portions of the spindle project laterally beyond their bearings, one of such and rtions being shown in Figure 10 and in icated by 38. Each of these projecting' end portions extends into a socket 39, and'a set screw 40 extending through the side wall of the socket operates to key or fixedl secure the socket to rotate with the spin e 37. Each socket is disposed at the central portion of the inner si e 41 of a circular 42, the outer side wall 43 of which is detachably connected to the peripheral wall of the casing b screws 44. Bearings 45 are cen-, trally disposed on the inner faces of the sides 41 and 43 and receive the cone-shaped ends of a short shaft 46 to which'is fixedl secured a segmental metallic wei ht 4; which carries a circular strip 48 o a size to nicely tit and rotate within the casing. As shown in Figure 9 the sections'of the sari heriei1 of fill circular 4118 are visiet rou sig opem'ngs int ecasin Behind t ese opening? are disposed trad; parent closures 50 aving centrally disposed transparent cross lines 51. One of the strips 48 is peripherally rovided on either side of a zero point wi graduations of two scales which indicate the degrees of opposite arcs of a circle, as indicated by 52. he opposite circular strip in Figure 11 is provi ed with tables of mathematical data 53, such as tables of tangents, co-tan nts and secants for use in the solution 0 angles obtained by the use of a transit in the ordina mined by the instrument and as indicated manner. In this way the surveyor I has at and at all times certain information relative to the vertical angles deter- The provision of this construction saves the time that would otherwise be referrin to the usual trigonometric tables provid in ordinary surveyors handbooks. Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various chan and I reserve the right to employ suc as may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A pendulum inclination indicator comprising a casing having oppositely arranged uired in iao plates provided with centrally disposed bearings, and having side portion connecting said plates and provided with an opening, a sector shaped pendulum, a spindle exten ing transversely through the vertex portion thereof and journaled in the said bearings, said pendulum being peripherally provided with a groove, and a circular strip surrounding the pendulum and having a portion thereof provided with a slot and seated within the groove and flush with the periphery of the pendulum and a screw extendmg through the slot and screwed into the pendulum for adj ustably connecting the pendulum to the strip.

HARVEY J. SMITH. 

